Stitchdown shoe and method of manufacture



Dea-1, 1936. E F SCHMlD-r 2,062,530

STITCHDOWN SHOE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE Filed Oct. 16, 1934 Patented Dec. 1, 1936 UNITED STATES STITCHDOWN SHOE AND METHOD .OF

MANUFACTURE Eckard F. Schmidt, Milwaukee, Wis., assigner to, United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, vN. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application October 16, 1934, Serial No. 748,509 9 claims. (c1. 12`142) This invention relates to a shoe and a method of making it, and more particularly to a stitchdown shoe containing a toe stilfener which has no outturned flange, and to a method of making such a shoe.

In stitchdown shoes, it is common to form an outturned flange on the upper as well as upon the toe stiffener, and to fasten these outturned flanges to the extension innersole by stitches or 10 staples. The presence of the outturned flange of the toe stilfener, Which is commonly made of fabric impregnated with a stiifening substance, is objectionable since it interferes more or less with the production of a nicely finished sole edge on the completed shoe. According to the present invention, a stitchdown shoe is provided in which the toe stiiener has no outturned flange.

According to a method commonly used in manufacturing stitchdown shoes, after certain operations have been performed, there results an assembled upper mounted, together with an extension innersole, upon a last, a softened toe stiifener having been inserted between the toe portions of the upper and the lining. The toe portion of the shoe is then presented to a toeforming machine theA function of which is to lmpart to the toe portion of the upper and to the toe stiifener a form corresponding to that of the toe end of the last, and to make a portion of the upper into an outturned flange which overlies the margin of the extension innersole. After shoes have been thus operated upon, they are presented to a stitchdown lasting machine byl which the upper is further formed and its out- 351 turned flange, including that at the toe portion,

is fastened to the extension innersole, for example by stitches.

In producing the shoe of the present invention, a short toe stiffener upon which no outturned flange is formed is employed; and when such a toe stiffener, previously rendered' softandy limp, has been put in place, and shaped, for example by means of the toe-forming machine, it is desirable that it be held so that its molded shape will be maintained approximately unchanged until the outturned ange of the upper is permanently fastened to the extension innersole, forexample by means of the stitchdown lasting machine. This procedure is particularly well suited for use with toe stileners of the type of those which are treated with a liquid to render them soft. As examples of toe stiffeners of this. type; there may be mentioned those made of fabric impregnated with celluloid which are v treated with a solvent for the celluloidl and thus rendered soft and limp before being put inplace, and these which are rendered soft and limp by treatment with water. In both cases the liquid must evaporate before the toe stiffener sets in itsy molded shape. stiffener in its molded shape after it has been molded and prior to the permanent attaching of] the outturned llange of theA upper tc the eXtension innersole, this outtur-nedI flange is temporarily fastened tothe margin of the extension in- 10 nersole, preferably by cement, so that the toe stiife'ner is confined and prevented from losingits shape.-

Referring to the accompanying drawing,

Fig. 1 is a cross section of the` toe portion ofv 15 a three-sole stitchdown shoe, and of; a portion of a toe-forming machine showing the parts ofv the shoe and of the machine as they appear at the end of the toe-forming operation;v

Fig. 2 is a plan of` a part ofthe extension innersole of the shoe shown in Fig. 1, said innersole having a coat ofI cement across its toe portion Fig. 3 is a cross section of the toe portionof a nished three-sole stitchdown shoe;

`Fig. 4 is a cross section` of the toe portion of a finished two-sole stitchdown shoe; and l Fig. 5 is a plan of a part of the extension inner-- sole of the shoe shown in Fig. lysaid innersole having a stripe of cement extending along the margin of its toe portion. Y

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2y and 3;' the shoe therein shown may be made as follows. AnV insole-1 is tacked to the bottom of a last-91. A coating of cement is applied to the lower margin of the inside of the lining Il of the assem- 35.

bled upper, a portion of the upper proper being shown at I3. The assembled upper is then mounted on` the last as usual, tacked to the heel end of the last and vpulled-over including the driving of theusual pulling-over4 tacks. A coatA of cement is appliedf to the margin of the under face of the insole 1 just wide enough to allow for lasting the lining. After the cement has dried sufficiently, the lower margin ofv the lining is lasted-over upon theA marginv of the insole. heel seat is then lasted, although this voperation may-be performed before the lasting ofl the lining,V if desired. The pulling-over tacks are removed, and an extension innersole I5 is tacked to thelast, said extension innersole having been previ- 50 on whichno. outturned'flangeisfto be formed-.-

In order to maintain theA toe 5A The 45,

which may be limp by reason of the presence of a liquid, is put in place, and a narrow extent of its lower margin is folded-in under the lasted margin of the lining, the width of the folded-in margin being in the neighborhood of oneeighth of an inch. The thermoplastic cement on the extension innersole I5 is then softened by heat, for example by placing the toe portion of the shoe in a toe-softening machine, after which the toe portion of the shoe is formed, for example by the use of a toe-forming machine, such as that disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,861,832, granted on April 7, 1932, upon an application filed in the name of William C. Baxter. This machine is provided with a holddown 2I, wipers 23 and a work support 25, these parts being shown in Fig. 1 in the positions they occupy after the wipers have drawn the upper, together with the toe stiffener, about the toe portion of the last, and a part of the upper has been formed into an outturned flange and pressed against the margin of the cemented face of the extension innersole I5. When, therefore, the shoe is removed from the toe-forming machine, the outturned flange adheres to the extension innersole and confines the soft toe stiffener I9 so as to hold it substantially in its molded shape.

This cement joint is a temporary fastening to hold the stiffener properly until the shoe is lasted and the outturned flange of the upper is permanently attached to the extension innersole. The lasting and permanent attaching may be done, for example, by means of a stitchdown lasting machine, such as that disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,864,510, granted on June 21, 1932, upon an application filed in the name of Bernard T. Leveque, which lasts the shoe and fastens the outturned flange to the extension innersole by stitches, as indicated at 21 in Fig. 3. The shoe may now be finished in the usual manner, including the attaching of the welt 29 and the outsole 3| by the usual stitches 33. It will be noted that in the manufacture of this three-sole shoe the wearers foot does not contact with the extension innersole I5 and, consequently, that said extension innersole may be coated all the way across, as shown in Fig. 2, which simplifies the cementing operation. It should alsobe noted that thermoplastic cement, which is liable to be squeezed out more or less during the toe-forming operation, may safely be used since none of the squeezed-out cement will cause any sticking of the shoe to the last during its manufacture.

The two-sole shoe shown in Figs. 4 and 5, which has no insole like the insole 1 of the threesole shoe, may be made as follows. A heel seat piece is tacked to the last; and the assembled upper, including the upper proper II3 and the lining III, is mounted on the last. The assembled upper is pulled-over, the pulling-over tacks being driven into the bottom of the last. The heel seat is lasted to the heel seat piece. The pulling-over tacks are removed, and an extension innersole II5, which has been coated along its margin with a stripe of cement II'I of proper Width, is tacked to the last. Preferably, a cold process cement, for 'example rubber cement, is used since, if thermoplastic cement is used, some of it is liable to be squeezed out during the sub-` sequent toe-forming operation, thereby causing the shoe to stick to the last. Thel shoe is now ready for the insertion of the toe stiffener H9.

In the better grade of shoes, the toe portion of the upper is laid back, and the toe portion of the lining is formed, for example by the use of the toe-forming machine. Cement is applied either to the inner face of the margin of the upper, or both to that face and to the upper face of the outturned flange of the lining. A short toe stiffener rendered properly soft is laid on the formed toe portion of the lining in such manner that the lower edge of the stiffener abuts the outturned flange of the lining. The toe portion of the upper is laid down over the toe stiffener and the shoe is again presented to the toeforming machine to form the toe portion of the upper and to impart to the stiiener its desired shape, the outturned flange of the upper being stuck to the outturned flange of the lining. 'I'he shoe then goes to the stitchdown lasting machine; and thereafter the welt |29 and outsole I3I may be attached by the usual stitches |33.

In cheaper types of two-sole shoes, the separate toe forming of the lining may be dispensed with, and the short toe stiifener may be placed with its lower edge at a predetermined distance from the edge of the lining so that, after the toe portion of the lining and the upper, together with the toe stiffener, have been formed at a single operation, the lower edge of the toe stiffener will abut the outturned edge of the lining.

It will be noted that in both kinds of shoes which have been shown, the outturned flange of the upper is temporarily fastened directly or indirectly to the margin of the extension innersole, and that the toe stiffener having no outturned flange is located substantially entirely within the stitches which permanently fasten the outturnedange of the upper to the extension innersole. The term short toe stiffener as used in the appended claims designates a toe stiffener which has no outturned flange and may be located inside of the stitches referred to above and inside of the crease at the junction of the outturned ange of the upper with the body portion of the upper.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The method of making a. stitchdown shoe which comprises mounting an assembled upper together with an extension innersole upon a last, inserting a short toe stiffener, simultaneously shaping the toe stiffener and the toe portion of the upper, including forming a portion of said upper but not of said stiffener with an outturned ange, causing said flange to be fastened temporarily to the extended margin of the extension innersole so as to maintain the shape imparted to the toe stiffener, and thereafter lasting the shoe and permanently fastening said outturned flange to said innersole.

Y 2. The method of making a stitchdown shoe which comprises mounting an assembled upper together with an extension innersole upon a last, inserting a short toe stiifener, simultaneously shaping the toe stiffener and the toe portion of the upper, including forming a portion of said upper but not of said stiifener with an outturned flange, causing said ange to be fastened temporarily to the extended margin of the extension innersole by means of cement so as to maintain the shape imparted to the toe stiffener and thereafter lasting the shoe and permanently fastening said outturned flange to said innersole.

3. The method of making a stitchdown shoe which comprises applying thermoplastic cement to the toe portion of an extension innersole and permitting the cement rtov harden, mounting an assembled upper and the extension innersole upon a last, treating a toe stiifener with a liquid to soften it, inserting the stiifener between the 1ining and the upper, heating the cement to soften it, shaping the toe stiifener and the toe portion of the upper including forming a portion of said upper but not of said stiffener with an outturned flange, pressing the flange against the cement on the extension innersole so as to maintain the shape imparted to the stiifener, and thereafter permanently fastening said iiange to said innersole.

4. The method of making a stitchdown shoe which comprises applying thermoplastic cement to the toe portion of an extension innersole and permitting the cement to harden, mounting an assembled upper and the extension innersole upon a last, treating a toe stiffener containing or consisting of a stiiening substance with a solvent for said substance, inserting the stiffener between the lining and the upper, heating the cement to soften it, shaping the toe stiffener and the toe portion of the upper including forming a portion of said upper but not of said stiffener with an outturned flange, pressing the flange against the cement on the extension innersole so as to maintain the shape imparted to the stiffener, and thereafter permanently fastening said flange to said innersole.

5. The method of making a stitchdown shoe which comprises applying thermoplastic cement to the toe portion of an extension innersole and permitting the cement to harden, mounting an assembled upper together with an insole upon a last, lasting the lining over upon the under side of the insole, tacking the extension innersole to the last, inserting a stiiener between the lining and the upper, heating the thermoplastic cement to soften it, shaping the stiffener and the toe portion of the upper including forming a portion of said upper but not of said stiifener with an outturned flange, pressing the flange against the cement on the extension innersole to fasten the flange temporarily to the innersole, and thereafter permanently fastening said flange to said extension innersole.

6. The method of making a stitchdown shoe which comprises mounting upon a last an assembled upper and an extension innersole the margin of the toe portion of which is coated with cement, shaping the toe portion of the lining including forming a portion of said lining into an outturned ange, pressing said outturned flange against the cement on the extension innersole, placing a toe stiffener on the lining, shaping the toe stiffener and the toe portion of the upper including forming a portion of said upper but not of said stiifener with an outturned flange, pressing this flange against the flange of the lining, providing cement between the flanges so that they will adhere, and thereafter permanently fastening the two flanges to the extension innersole.

7. 'Ihe method of making a stitchdown shoe which comprises mounting upon a last an assembled upper and an extension kinnersole the margin of the toe portion of which is coated with cement, inserting a toe stiffener between the upper and the lining, shaping the toe stiffener and the toe portion of the upper and the lining including forming outturned flanges on said upper and lining but not on said stiffener, pressing said outturned flanges and the margin of said extension innersole together, providing cement between the anges so that the anges will adhere together and to the innersole, and thereafter permanently fastening the two flanges to the extension innersole.

8. A stitchdown shoe comprising a lining and an upper both of which have outturned flanges, a toe stiifener between the upper and the lining, the lower edge of said stiffener substantially abutting the outturned flange of the lining and having itself no outturned ange, an extension innersole, and stitches located outside the toe stiffencr and passing through the bases of the outturned flanges of the upper and lining and through the extension innersole.

9. A stitchdown shoe comprising a lining and an upper both of which have outturned flanges, a toe stiffener between the upper and the lining, the lower edge of said stiffener substantially abutting the outturned flange of the lining and having itself no outturned flange, an extension innersole, an outersole, stitches located outside the toe stifiener and passing through the bases of the outturned lianges of the upper and lining and through the extension innersole, and other stitches passing through the said outturned iianges, through the extension innersole and through the outersole.

ECKARD F. SCHMIDT. 

